Placement implement for drapery hooks



Nov. 7, 1967 R. ROMANO 3,350,737

PLACEMENT IMPLEMENT FOR DRAPERY HOOKS Filed July 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. RALPH ROMA/V0 8mm 4 M Filed July 8, 1965 1957 R. ROMANO 3,350,787

PLACEMENT IMPLEMENT FOR DRAPERY HOOKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RALPH ROMA/V0 W gxad ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,350,787 PLACEMENT IMPLEMENT FOR DRAPERY HOOKS- Ralph Romano, Levittown, Pa., assignor of ten percent to Harold B. Lipsius and ten percent to Arthur H. Seidel, both of Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed July 8, 1965, Ser. No. 470,518 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A placement implement for drapery hooks having a flexible element with a notch at one end thereof defining the placement position of a hook on a drapery. An abutment means cooperates with openings in the flexible element and the top edge of a drape to position the notch at the same distance from the top edge of the drape for each hook.

This invention relates generally to a placement implement for drapery hooks, and in particular, to an adjustable implement for placement of hooks at a desired distance from a top edge of a drapery and in line with a pleat seam thereof.

Draperies, valances and the like are generally hung by means of hooks. In order to present a straight and attractive top edge, all hooks must be spaced evenly from the top edge. Moreover, it is desirable that the draperies be evenly spaced relative to the rod, usually so as to conceal the same. Furthermore, if draperies are pleated, it is desirable that the hooks be aligned with the pleat seams. In the past, measurements were made along the pleat seams from the top edge and marked. Alignment of the hooks with the pleat seams at an evenly spaced distance from the top edge has proved to be difiicult. Thus, the need has arisen for an implement to align and evenly space drapery hooks.

Therefore, to overcome the foregoing and other difliculties of the prior art, the general object of this invention is to provide a new and better means for spacing and aligning drapery hooks.

It. is an object of this invention to provide a placement implement for drapery hooks which is simple, easy, convenient and quick in application.

Another object of this invention is to provide a place ment implement for drapery hooks which is adjustable for various drapery hooks.

It is an object of this invention to provide a placement implement for drapery hooks which defines a placement for a hook on the backing of a drapery which is spaced a desired distance below the top edge of the drapery and in line with a pleat seam thereof.

It is a further object to provide a placement implement for drapery hooks which is economical to produce and which utilizes conventional, currently available materials that lend themselves to standard mass production manufacturing techniques.

Additional objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description of the claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invented implement.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 22.

FIGURE 3is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 as utilized on a drapery.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of :an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of FIG- URE 5 taken along line 6-6.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional plan view of FIGURE 5 taken along line 77.

FIGURE 8 is a ment of FIGURE 5 as used on a drapery.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a drawing of the placement implement of the present invention designated generally as 10. The placement implement 10 has a longitudinal handle member 20. One end of FIGURE 1 material, such as the wooden handle of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, which includes a cover plate 29 over the hollow channel of slideway 24. In the alternate embodiment illustrated in 20 is formed from a sheet of bend at one end to form the reference surface 22 and having flanges 25, 27 bent to form an open channel for a slideway 24.

A measuring element 30 is provided by a longitudinal sheet of material such as a plastic or a metal. The width and thickness of element 30 corresponds to the width and thickness of the slideway 24, so that the element 30 may be slidably received therein. A row of perforations 32 is provided at regularly spaced intervals, for example, at the measuring element 30 as illustrated. A deep notch 35 is centrally located at one end of the measuring element 30. Numerical indicia may be provided, as shown, adjacent to certain of the perforations 32 to designate the distance of notch 35 from the reference surface 22. A peg 36 extends from handle 20 20. It is to be noted, in each case, that the slideway 24 provided by the hollow channel is discontinued at a portion of the handle approximate to the end providing referpeg 36 extends from this portion of handle member 20 proximate the reference surface 22, as illustrated. The measuring element 30 may be flexed slightly outward from the handle 20 and peg 36 for adjustment by sliding to another of the perforations 32. A cam surface 37 may be provided on the peg 36, as shown in FIGURE 6 to facilitate adjustment of the measuring element 30.

Alignment means, generally indicated at 40, are provided for engagement with a pleat 14 at the front surface of a drapery 12. The embodiment of FIGURE 1 utilizes an alignment rod 41 having a bulbous tip 42 for protection of the drapery material within the pleat 15. The alternate alignment means illustrated in FIGURE 5 is a bifurcated pair of prongs 43, 45. In both embodiments, the alignment means 40, provided by the rod 41 and the prongs 43, 45, extend beyond the reference surface 22 with a spaced relationship from the measuring element 30, as illustrated.

During attachment of hook 50 to a backing 16 of drapperspective view showing the embodiengagement between peg 36 and an appropriate perforation 32 corresponding to a desired distance from the top edge 13 of drapery 12. If a backing 16 covers over the seam of pleat 14, then alignment therewith of a hook 50 by eye is difficult. Thus, the implement is placed with the reference surface 22 abutting edge 13 with a portion of the drapery 12 between the measuring element 30 and the alignment means 40. The measuring element 30 extends down over the backing 16, while the alignment means 40 engages the pleat 14 at the front surface of the drape 12. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 4, the alignment rod 41 enters within the center loop 15 of the pleat 14 and extends therealong. In the alternate embodiment, as illustrated in FIGURE 8, the pleat 14 is received between the prongs 43, 45, which extend along the pleat at either side. In either case, the alignment means 40 provides an alignment of the measuring element 30 with respect to the pleat 14. The exact placement for a hook 50 is then defined within the notch 35 of the measuring element 30. Thus, hooks 50 may be evenly and accurately placed and aligned along the backing strip 16 by quick repeated operations at each pleat 15, as described above.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specifications as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An implement for placement of a hook in a pleated drapery, comprising: a longitudinal handle member with one end thereof providing a flat reference surface thereon for abutment On a top edge of said drapery, said handle member including a slideway part way therealong which is spaced from said one end; a longitudinal measuring element within said slideway, said measuring element extending from said slideway beyond said one end of said reference surface at one side thereof for placement over said drapery, said element having a row of spaced perforations therealong and a notch at one end which overlies the drapery defining an exact placement of said hook in the drapery, said slideway holding said element against said handle, said element being a sheet of resilient material enabling a slight flexing of said material away from said handle proximate said end; a peg extending from said handle proximate said end to engage within one of said perforations and lock said element at a length representing a desired placement of said hook at a predetermined distance from said reference surface; and alignment means extending from said surface for engagement with a pleat of said drapery to align said measuring element with a seam of said pleat.

2. An implement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said peg includes a cammed surface facilitating aljustment of said element.

3. An implement for placement of a hook in a drapery including an elongated measuring element, said element having a row of spaced openings therealong, a notch at one end of said element defining an exact placement position for a hook, an abutment means cooperating with one of said openings and the top edge of the drapery, said openings being spaced at different predetermined distances from said notch for determining in combination with said abutment means the distance from the top edge of the drapery to said notch.

4. An implement for placement of a hook in drapery as set forth in claim 3 wherein said abutment means is removably coupled to said element so that it may be used with any of said openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,327,114 1/1920 Rhein 33-169 2,175,650 10/1939 Schaber 33-169 2,650,435 9/1953 Kidd 33l69 3,193,942 7/1965 Cates 33-180 FOREIGN PATENTS 247,996 ll/ 1963 Australia.

SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN IMPLEMENT FOR PLACEMENT OF A HOOK IN A PLEATED DRAPERY, COMPRISING: A LONGITUDINAL HANDLE MEMBER WITH ONE END THEREOF PROVIDING A FLAT REFERENCE SURFACE THEREON FOR ABUTMENT ON A TOP EDGE OF SAID DRAPERY, SAID HANDLE MEMBER INCLUDING A SLIDEWAY PART WAY THEREALONG WHICH IS SPACED FROM SAID ONE END; A LONGITUDINAL MEASURING ELEMENT WITHIN SAID SLIDEWAY, SAID MEASURING ELEMENT EXTENDING FROM SAID SLIDEWAY BEYOND SAID ONE END OF SAID REFERENCE SURFACE AT ONE SIDE THEREOF FOR PLACEMENT OVER SAID DRAPERY, SAID ELEMENT HAVING A ROW OF SPACED PERFORATIONS THEREALONG AND A NOTCH AT ONE END WHICH OVERLIES THE DRAPERY DEFINING AN EXACT PLACEMENT OF SAID HOOK IN THE DRAPERY, SAID SLIDEWAY HOLDING SAID ELEMENT AGAINST SAID HANDLE, SAID ELEMENT BEING A SHEET OF RESILIENT MATERIAL ENABLING A SLIGHT FLEXING OF SAID MATERIAL AWAY FROM SAID HANDLE PROXIMATE SAID END; A PEG EXTENDING FROM SAID HANDLE PROXIMATE SAID END TO ENGAGE WITHIN ONE OF SAID PERFORATIONS AND LOCK SAID ELEMENT AT A LENGTH REPRESENTING A DESIRED PLACEMENT OF SAID HOOK AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID REFERENCE SURFACE; AND ALIGNMENT MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SURFACE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A PLEAT OF SAID DRAPERY TO ALIGN SAID MEASURING ELEMENT WITH A SEAM OF SAID PLEAT. 